Kristopher Case Sanders, M.D.

10/20/2026

09/26/2026

Check out the awesome experience patients are having at Riverfront Surgery Center!

09/16/2026

It was a pleasure talking about Chattanooga Joint Replacement Specialists and hip and knee care with Mix 104.1 WCLE today.

08/21/2026

As we continue to ramp up our practice, we'd be eternally grateful if you would share your story of finding joint pain relief with our providers on Google! You can leave reviews for our practice and/or for each physician below. We're honored to continue providing the patient-centered, expert care Chattanooga has come to know and trust.

👉Dr. Matthew Higgins Reviews: https://bit.ly/4qAxoys
👉Dr. K. Case Sanders Reviews: https://bit.ly/3UvsmqK
👉Practice Reviews: https://bit.ly/4qEvbBV

08/17/2026

Robotic Knee Replacement: There has been a six-fold increase in robotic-assisted knee replacement since 2020. It is now estimated by 2030, 50% of knee replacements will be performed with robotic technology. Myself and Dr. Higgins have been at the forefront of robotic knee replacement in Chattanooga after adopting the technology in 2020 and have not looked back. Now nearly two-thirds of specialized academic hip and knee surgeons utilize robotics. Why are we seeing this rapid expansion? Simply, robotic knee replacement, especially CT-based, leads to a more personalized and precise knee replacement without question. Patients can expect improved and personalized alignment, sizing and positioning compared to traditional knee replacement, likely neutralizing the risk of a revision for poor implant positioning. Robotic technology leads to less soft tissue trauma resulting in improved early recovery. For those reasons, if I were the patient, I would only want a knee replacement with robotic assistance, so that's what we offer our patients. So how does it work?

Step 1: Pre-operative 3D CT-based personalized plan

Step 2: Intra-operative digital assessment and personalized balancing and fine-tuning

Step 3: Ex*****on of personalized, unique plan with precise robotic bone cuts

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments or visit us at Chattanooga Joint Replacement Specialists to learn more about robotic knee replacement surgery.

1510 Gunbarrel Rd. Suite 120
Chattanooga, TN 37421
423-697-8585
chattjointreplacement.com

07/28/2026

Looks even better in person! Love seeing Parkridge investing in being the best surgical hospital in Chattanooga. The future (and present) is bright!

07/19/2026

"Quad-sparing" Knee Replacement:

As the demand for outpatient surgery and early return to activities for joint replacement has grown, technology, protocols and surgical approaches and techniques have been adopted to meet this demand. This includes robotic technology, spinal anesthesia, anterior approach for hip replacement and now the "quad-sparing" approach for knee replacement. The "quad-sparing" approach has actually been around for decades and is also known as the subvastus approach. Called "subvastus" because with this approach the surgeon elevates the vastus medialis muscle instead of cutting the muscle at the quadriceps tendon (medial parapatellar) or splitting the muscle (midvastus). Traditionally most surgeons performing knee replacement will perform a medial parapatellar approach, which detaches the vastus medialis muscle from the quadriceps tendon, disrupting the quadriceps muscle group. The medial parapatellar approach has been predominantly utilized because it's technically easier and research shows that outcomes six to twelve months after surgery are similar between approaches. However, with a focus on faster early recovery, the subvastus approach has gained renewed interest among surgeons and patients.

We know that for the first 6-8 weeks, the subvastus approach offers recovery advantages by preserving muscle integrity, allowing the quadriceps to function normally (similar to the anterior approach in hip replacement). By maintaining the quadriceps' integrity, patients often experience improved quadriceps strength, knee control, and range of motion in those initial weeks compared to the traditional approach. This enables patients to meet their physical therapy goals sooner and return to activities faster. The subvastus approach can also be combined with the Mako SmartRobotics technology, to further limit intraoperative soft tissue disruption and gain the precision of 3D CT-based patient-specific planning. Patients might also encounter terms like "Jiffy knee" and "from the side," which simply put are the subvastus surgical technique termed differently. I mention this primarily because patients in our region have no need to travel because it's already here in Southeast TN. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments or visit us at CJRS to learn more about "quad-sparing" knee replacement surgery.

1510 Gunbarrel Rd. Suite 120
Chattanooga, TN 37421
423-697-8585
chattjointreplacement.com

07/10/2026

"Tourniquet-less" Knee Replacement:

At CJRS, we are committed to improving our techniques, skills, protocols and pathways so our patients can excel. Based on patient feedback and clinical observation of what patients seemed to struggle with after knee replacement, at CJRS we adjusted our knee replacement technique to help accelerate early recovery after knee replacement. After thousands of cases of experience in knee replacement, we noted many patients reported more thigh pain, bruising and weakness when a tourniquet was utilized. Due to this we are now performing tourniquet-less knee replacement for the majority of our patients. There is sound literature supporting a tourniquet-less approach to knee replacement, and our knee patients are benefiting from this improvement. A tourniquet-less technique still allows us to utilize our 3D CT-based robotic technology with the Mako SmartRobotics system. Also, the majority of our knee replacement surgeries continue to be outpatient either through Riverfront Surgery Center or the excellent outpatient surgery department at Parkridge Medical Center. Ask any questions in the comments or come see us at CJRS to learn more about "tourniquet-less" knee replacement surgery.

1510 Gunbarrel Rd. Suite 120
Chattanooga, TN 37421
423-697-8585

06/30/2026

What is a "Bikini" Incision Direct Anterior Total Hip Replacement?

To perform a hip replacement, there are several surgical approaches to the hip joint. Historically, the most common approaches were the posterior approach ("through the back") or anterolateral or modified anterior approach ("through the side"). However, as techniques and technology have improved, the anterior approach ("through the front") has become the preferred approach by many surgeons and patients. This is certainly our preferred approach at CJRS, and most if not all of our surgical patients will have an anterior approach. This approach utilizes a natural plain between the muscles and nerves on the front of the hip instead of cutting into the muscular and nervous plains used by the other two approaches. The anterior muscle sparing approach accelerates recovery and provides improved stability to the hip replacement. This helps patients return to work and active lifestyles faster. After years of experience and thousands of direct anterior hip replacements performed, CJRS now uses a more refined anterior approach using the "bikini" incision. This enhanced technique changes the orientation of the traditional vertical incision to an oblique incision in line with the natural skin lines of the hip. This reduces tension on the skin, leading to better healing and cosmetic results compared to the standard vertical incision. This has become our preferred incision for nearly all of our hip replacement patients. Below, you will see a patient only 6 weeks post surgery, demonstrating the excellent healing potential of the "bikini" incision. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments or come see us at CJRS to learn more.

1510 Gunbarrel Rd. Suite 120
Chattanooga, TN 37421
(423) 697-8585